10 All-Star Athletes On How To Stay Motivated

We all face days when we aren’t feeling our best. Even professional athletes have had to face their fears and press on, when they were doubting themselves. We’ve gathered quotes from some of our favorite athletes on how they stay focused and motivated.

1. Serena Williams

“With a defeat, when you lose, you get up, you make it better, you try again. That’s what I do in life, when I get down, when I get sick, I don’t want to just stop. I keep going and I try to do more. Everyone always says never give up, but you really have to take that to heart and definitely never give up. Keep trying.”

2. Abby Wambach

“I think that in order to get better as an athlete and to see whatever kind of results you’re after, you have to make goals. Whether you write them down or tell someone about them, it’s important to set goals for yourself in order to achieve any kind of success.”

3. Stephen Curry

“What I tell people is be the best version of yourself in anything that you do. You don’t have to live anybody else’s story. Everything happens for a reason, and everything has a story, and if you take time to realize what your dream is and what you really want in life… whether it’s sports, whether it’s in other fields, you have to realize that there’s always work to do.”

4. LeBron James

“You can’t be afraid to fail. It’s the only way you succeed – you’re not gonna succeed all the time, and I know that. You have to be able to accept failure to get better.”

5. Ronda Rousey

“People say to me all the time, ‘You have no fear.’ I tell them, ‘No, that’s not true. I’m scared all the time. You have to have fear in order to have courage. I’m a courageous person because I’m a scared person.’”

6. Derek Jeter

“There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.”

7. J.J. Watt

“Never be happy with just good. Every single day, you need to do something to make yourself better. That’s the only way you’re going to improve.”

8.Maria Sharapova

“It’s always tough when you lose – you’ve worked so hard for that moment and it hasn’t gone the way you wanted. But you have to realize there’s always a bright side, you have to pick yourself up and get ready for the next game.”

9. Gabby Douglas

“I think hard days are the best because that’s when champions are made. Sacrifices are not in vain. In the end, everything will pay off.”

10. Hope Solo

“One thing I’ve learned through all the ups and downs is that if you’re doing things right, then you have a core group of people. Not just a core group of buddies, but a group of people that have a good influence on you, who you respect and admire, and you know that if they’re on your side, you’re doing something right.”